Does the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire measure what we think it does? Construct validity evidence from an active controlled randomized clinical trial.
Simon B. Goldberg, Joseph Wielgosz, Cortland J. Dahl, Brianna S. Schuyler, Donal G. Maccoon, Melissa A. Rosenkranz, Antoine Lutz, Chad A Sebranek, Richard J. Davidson
Psychological Assessment October 13, 2015 DOI: 10.1037/pas0000233 via OpenAlex
Summary
A randomized trial with 130 participants tested whether the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) validly measures dispositional mindfulness. The study included three groups: mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), an active control condition (Health Enhancement Program, HEP) that did not teach mindfulness meditation, and a waitlist control. At baseline, FFMQ facets correlated with measures of psychological symptoms and well-being, providing partial evidence for convergent validity. FFMQ scores increased for MBSR relative to the waitlist, but they also increased for HEP relative to the waitlist, and MBSR and HEP did not differ from each other. The FFMQ thus failed to show discriminant validity, raising questions about its ability to specifically measure mindfulness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 130 |
| Population | Adults |
| Interventions | Mindfulness-based stress reduction Health Enhancement Program |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Psycinfo Clinical psychology Randomized controlled trial Construct validity |
| Citations | 180 |
| Key finding | The FFMQ showed partial convergent validity but failed to demonstrate discriminant validity, as both MBSR and an active control condition (HEP) produced similar increases in FFMQ scores. |
Abstract
The current study attempted a rigorous test of the construct validity of a widely used self-report measure of dispositional mindfulness, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), within the context of an active controlled randomized trial (n = 130). The trial included three arms: mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), an active control condition that did not include instruction in mindfulness meditation (Health Enhancement Program [HEP]), and a waitlist control condition. Partial evidence for the convergent validity of the FFMQ was shown in correlations at baseline between FFMQ facets and measures of psychological symptoms and psychological well-being. In addition, facets of the FFMQ were shown to increase over the course of an MBSR intervention relative to a waitlist control condition. However, the FFMQ failed to show discriminant validity. Specifically, facets of the FFMQ were shown to increase over the course of the HEP intervention relative to the waitlist control condition. MBSR and HEP, in contrast, did not differ in changes in FFMQ score over time. Implications of these findings for the measurement and theory of mindfulness and MBSR are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record